The sounds of silence: a hermeneutic interpretation of the childbirth experiences of women who have been excised

Abstract

This hermeneutic study explores the experiences of childbirth for women who have been excised. Drawing on the influence of Gadamer, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four women and the stories that emerged from these interviews were interpreted. The findings of this study identified silence as being the major theme of this research, the lens through which these women's experiences of childbirth were explored. The understandings that emerged offer affected women the possibility of understanding their experiences differently and provide midwives and other health care professionals with a pathway to providing this population of women with safe, appropriate and respectful care.